The Shiite Apologetics
Question Twenty
Why do the Shiites kiss the doors and the walls of the shrines and seek blessings thereof?
Answer
Seeking blessing from what reminds one of the saints is not something that has just appeared among Muslims; rather, it is a practice with deep roots in the history of the Prophets life and of his companions.
Not only our honorable Prophet and his companions, but also the earlier Prophets used to seek blessings. Below are examples taken from the Quran and from the Prophets Sunnah regarding the legitimacy of seeking blessings from what the saints had touched.
- The Quran says that when the truthful Joseph introduced himself to his brothers and forgave then, he said: Go with this shirt of mine and lay it on my fathers face, he will again be able to see.(12:93). Also, When the bearer of good news came he cast it on his face, so forthwith he regained his sight.(12:96)
This clear expression of the Quran is a manifest proof showing that Jacob, the Messenger of God, sought blessings from the shirt of another Messenger of God, Joseph; it also says that the shirt restored Prophet Jacob's eyesight to him.
Can anyone claim that what these two honorable prophets did was something beyond the scope of monotheism and of worshipping the one God?
- There is no doubt that the holy Prophet (a.s) rubbed his hand over the al-Hajar al-Aswad (asking Gods favor) when circumambulating the house of God, Ka`bah.
In his Sahih, Bukhari says; Someone asked `Abdullah ibn `Umar about (the permissibility of) touching the al-Hajar al-Aswad, and he answered: I saw the Prophet lovingly touching and kissing the al-Hajar al-Aswad.[1] If the touching and kissing of a stone ever had had the implication of associating someone or something to God, the Prophet, the harbinger of monotheism, would never have attempted at it.
- The Sunnis sihah and Masanid, history and Sunnah books contain a large number of narrations on the Prophets companions seeking blessings from the things the Prophet had touched: his dress, the water he had used to make ritual ablution with, the jug he had drunk water out of, etc. These examples leave no doubt at all that it is legitimate and lawfully favorable to seek blessings. Although the narrations that have been handed down are too many to mention here, a few examples will be quoted below.
a) In a lengthy discussion on some characteristics of the Prophet and of his companions, Bukhari reports the following: Whenever the Prophet made the ritual ablution,
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari, part 2, the book of al-Hajj; sub-section: Taqbil al-Hajar, p. 151-2, printed in Egypt.
the Muslims (who were there) almost killed each other (over obtaining some of the water).[1]
b) Ibn Hajar reports: Children were brought to the Prophet, to be blessed, and he prayed for them.[2]
c) Muhammad Tahir Makki reports: Umm Thabit is quoted to have said ' The Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his descendents came to me. He drank water out of a suspending water-pouch while he was standing. (When he had finished) I cut off the outlet of the pouch (to keep it as something blessed). Makki then adds: this narration has been cited by Tirmidhi, who called it sound and hasan. The commentator of this tradition says, in Riyad al-Salihin, Umm Thabit cut the outlet of the pouch off to save it as a reminder of where the Prophet's lips had touched while he was drinking water, and as something to seek blessings thereof. Those who accompanied the Prophet also used to drink water out of what the Prophet had drunk.[3]
d) Those who had (volunteered) to serve in Medina used to carry pots of water to the Prophet before the morning prayers. The holy Prophet dipped his hand in the pots one by one; he still dipped his hand in water even if they came to him in a cold morning.[4]
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, chapter: ma yajuzu min al-shuruti fi'l-ilsam; sub-section: al-shurutu fi'l-jihadi wa'l-musalahah, p. 195. [2] Al-Isabah, vol. 1, the prelude, p. 7, printed in Egypt. [3] Muhammad Tahir al-Makki's Tabarruk al-Sahabah, chapter 1, p. 29, translated by Ansari. [4] Sahih Muslim, section 7, Kitab al-Fada'il, chapter: Qurbu al-Nabi min al-Nas wa Tabarrukuhum, p. 79. For further information see:
These are clear permits to seeking blessings from what the Prophets have been in contact with. Thus, those who accuse the Shiites of polytheism and dualism (because the Shiites believe in this issue) have misconceived or misinterpreted monotheism and polytheism, because polytheism means worshipping someone else beside God, or ascribing Godly affairs to someone else, and taking him to be principally independent and needless of God in existence and influencing (on others) . The Shiites, however, maintain that God's saints and their relics are all created (beings) and are dependent on the Unique God both for their existence and for any influence they may have on other things. It is only out of respect and sincere love toward their Imams and those foremost in Gods religion that the Shiites seek blessings from these saints. It is because of their love towards their Prophet and his descendents that the Shiites kiss the grave or the doors and the walls of the shrines on visiting these sanctuaries. This is an innate feeling deep in the heart of any devoted person, of which the following poem is and excellent manifestation:
Passing by Salim area
I do kiss the walls,
this and that, not because I love the walls
but I do love the one residing therein.
Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ashribah; Malik's al-Muwatta', vol. 1, p. 138, on Saluting the Prophet; Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 90; Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4, p. 32; al-Isiab, commenting on al-Isabah, vol. 3, p. 631; Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 1, pp. 281-2.
